Traveling with child

Your best bet would be to reserve triples. Doubles mean two people, not necessarily two beds. I'm afraid that an 11 year old will be considered an adult for most hotels.

A double in Europe is a room for 2 people. It will have one double bed. What we might call a double - two double or queen beds - is actually a quad. You can either book a triple or, best bet is to email the place you think you'd like to say and ASK what type of accomodation they would suggest for your party of 3. They will respond with their room configuration (i.e. a double with an additional bed) and the price. Tell them your grandson is 11 years old so they don't think he is a very young child. I've had lots of good response from hotels & B&B's including some rooms that were not listed on the website.

Other tips for traveling with kids are:
Allow for some downtime each day - return to the hotel for resting, reading, etc.
Alternate museums with outdoor nature based activities - swimming, hiking, boating.
My son prefered castle ruins to "palaces".
Eat chocolate and/or ice cream every day.
Limit electronic use to car rides or the hotel room for the resting hour.
Have fun!

I have my kids watch travel videos before we go. We also check out the web sites of various attractions. They help choose what looks interesting and it helps them to know what to expect. Yes, climbing over castle walls are usually more interesting than art museums, but art museums in moderation are OK. We have a "no American food" rule. Eating things you don't recognize and can't pronounce makes for part of the fun.

I'd also like to chime in with Margaret about the food. Don't underestimate your grandson. I would not call my son picky but he pretty well doesn't eat cooked vegetables. We have never done American food in Europe and that is something he has really enjoyed.

In France he liked Croque Monsieur and Croque Madames so much he once ordered two of them (he was also 11 at the time). In Germany he liked the Jaegerschnitzel and also enjoyed eating meats & cheeses from the markets.

Also-in regards to museums - don't forget modern art museums too. In Vienna two years ago my son and I had a great time looking at photos, odd stuff, Warhols, while daughter & husband did the natural history museum. And different modes of transportation are fun - everything from boat tours on the Rhine to trains & ferries. He thought sleeping on the train in Norway was a highlight of the trip.

I consider our kids picky. During our trip to Europe, however, we didn't do McDonald's.

In Germany and Austria, they were perfectly happy eating picnic meals of cold cuts, cheeses, some fruit, chocolate and a soda from a grocery store. It was about the cheapest way to eat and no complaints about not liking what was on the menu.

When we got to Italy they were in heaven eating only pizza a gelato for every meal.

Thanks for the help on the lodging. We are hoping we can do most of our choice making when we get there as far as rooms. We do like to book a first night and last night though.

All of your hints for traveling with kids is appreciated. We are looking forward to it but it is a new adventure so your experiences are appreciated. Thanks. Keep them coming!

We found the Hotel Reservation Service (largest in Germany) to be good for researching rooms.

http://www.hrs.com/

Select a double room but input 2 adults and 1 child. It will ask you if you want a separate bed.

HRS has good prices and sends you a clear message about your reservation and the ways to cancel if that becomes necessary. If you only want to reserve first and last days, it is still handy to have a list of good prospects as you travel.

Regards, Gary